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Epidemiology of Inhalant Abuse - Archives - National Institute on ...

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predominated, but it seems clear that these various efforts have not<br />

achieved notable success, since few specific policies have been widely<br />

replicated across multiple States.<br />

Law enforcement and business <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficials advocate that more effort should<br />

be put into preventi<strong>on</strong> efforts. However, there is <strong>on</strong>ly theory and little<br />

evidence to guide how this should be undertaken. Demand reducti<strong>on</strong><br />

efforts targeted at inhalants have been rare, and when performed they<br />

have not been evaluated. General drug abuse preventi<strong>on</strong> efforts <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten<br />

ignore inhalants. The recent rigorous preventi<strong>on</strong> evaluati<strong>on</strong>s (ALERT<br />

and Project STAR) have not examined impacts <strong>on</strong> inhalant abuse<br />

(Ellicks<strong>on</strong> and Bell 1990; Pentz et al. 1989).<br />

BACKGROUND ON THE PROBLEM<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Inhalant</str<strong>on</strong>g> abuse is a persistent part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the drug abuse problem in the United<br />

States. In the face <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> major progress against the abuse <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> illicit drugs over<br />

the past 13 years, there has been no apparent progress against inhalant<br />

abuse. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> rates <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> use am<strong>on</strong>g adolescents and adults have remained<br />

relatively stable over this time period (figure 1). In 1991, an estimated<br />

1.8 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> adolescents aged 12-17 years used inhalants during the 30<br />

days prior to the survey; this is not significantly different from 2.0<br />

percent in 1988 and 2.2 percent in 1990. About 1.5 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> young<br />

adults aged 18-25 years in 1991 used inhalants during the prior 30 days<br />

(<str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Institute</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> Drug <str<strong>on</strong>g>Abuse</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1993).<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> rates and trends do not adequately characterize the nature,<br />

extent, or impact <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant problems nor the attenti<strong>on</strong> dedicated to this<br />

problem. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Inhalant</str<strong>on</strong>g>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten are the first drugs abused by adolescents<br />

(including alcohol and tobacco), and Oetting and colleagues (1988) have<br />

c<strong>on</strong>cluded that inhalant abuse <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten is symptomatic <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> or correlated with<br />

emoti<strong>on</strong>al problems. There is a great need to develop and test theories<br />

about the causes (i.e., etiology) <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant abuse, as well as the definiti<strong>on</strong><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inhalant abuse (Beauvais and Oetting 1987). Such informati<strong>on</strong> is<br />

fundamental to the development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> new and ultimately effective strategies<br />

against inhalant abuse. Interested readers are directed, for example, to<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Nati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Institute</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> Drug <str<strong>on</strong>g>Abuse</str<strong>on</strong>g> Research M<strong>on</strong>ograph 129 (Sharp et al.<br />

1992). In additi<strong>on</strong>, while inhalant abuse is endemic across the Nati<strong>on</strong>, it<br />

has been detected in higher rates and even in epidemic proporti<strong>on</strong>s in<br />

some communities with a large minority populati<strong>on</strong>, particularly am<strong>on</strong>g<br />

276

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